SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico lawmakers are considering whether to legalize medically assisted suicide for terminally ill patients.
It's the first test of right-to-die legislation since the election last year of a Democratic governor and an enlarged Democratic House majority. Current law that withstood a Supreme Court challenge in 2017 makes it a felony for a physician to assist a patient in ending her or his life.
Legislative committees on Monday began vetting a variety of major policy reforms.
A proposal from Democratic Rep. Deborah Amstrong of Albuquerque and Sen. Liz Stefanics of Santa Fe sets out assisted-suicide protocols that include two-day waiting period to obtain life-ending drugs.
Opponents of the initiative including the Roman Catholic Church are raising ethical objections to provisions for obtaining life-ending prescriptions by remote consultation with medical providers.